Re: Complicated query: searching for results within results.

Michel Cadot wrote:
> "Charles Hooper" <hooperc2000_at_yahoo.com> a écrit dans le message de news: 1163983841.115538.107430_at_m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...> | Your post appears to be in response to the long winded solution that I> | provided. As a _former_ computer instructor, I beg to differ with the> | notion that only hints should be provided when potentially complex> | questions are asked. Hints work well in a classroom environment where> | there is both a verbal and non-verbal immediate exchange between> | instructor and student. However, hints in a static, written format may> | not serve as motivation to encourage thought processes - those hints> | may be read as the master playing games with the novice or even as a> | way of insulting the novice's intelligence, when that is far from the> | intended result.> |> | I agree, just providing a solution to a specific problem has limited> | benefits to the recipient if the solution. Providing insight into the> | thought processes that lead to each step of the solution is far more> | helpful - make connections between what is familar to those learning> | something new, with something that is a bit different.> |> | Charles Hooper> | PC Support Specialist> | K&M Machine-Fabricating, Inc.> |>> No Charles, Daniel post is not for you. He did remind me to take care> about lazy students many times during the past years... and from to> time to time I slacken my attention and post a solution.> (I don't either think his post was just for me, it is just a general warining.)>> I'm not agree with you Charles, hints are very useful and students> can find the solution with those we post here if they want to make> an effort, at least the effort to ask if they don't understand what we> post. Obviously, they should talk with their teachers before posting> here, if they want a more interactive discussion.> Hints are not a way to play master but a way to help student to learn.>> Providing insights into the solution is only useful if poster want to> understand and not just a solution. How to mae the distinction> between the two types of posters? Well, by posting hints and see> which ones try and ask for more and which ones don't answer.> (imho)>> Regards> Michel Cadot

I think that we are more in agreement than not regarding the use of
hints to help someone learn.

When used appropriately, hints serve as motivation for deep
understanding of subjects. I use hints when trying to help the IT
staff who report to me understand concepts that not taught in
college/university. This approach requires immediate feedback - if the
dots (hints) are spaced too far apart, there is little chance that the
learner will be able to connect the dots, which then may result in
feelings of frustration, that Oracle (or some other topic) is too
difficult to comprehend, or that the person providing the hints is just
insulting the lack of intelligence of the person asking the question.
While responses on the Oracle Usenet groups is still suprisingly quick,
providing answers with only hints is a bit like playing a chess game by
postal mail. Some people who ask questions here may have run into a
difficult Oracle related problem at work, where a solution is required
in a short period of time, or their project simply does not get off the
ground. Providing a hint in such a situation may result in an
inappropriate response to someone who is actually trying to help (read
some of the out-of-line responses that Mr. Morgan has received when
trying to be helpful, if you need examples).

While I don't ask many questions here, I find that it is interesting to
read the responses to other's questions. While providing insight for
the OP may be wasted effort, others reading the responses may find new
approaches to solving complex problems,such as using analytical
functions rather than a half dozen nested inline views.

It is interesting to see the variety of solutions and results posted in
this thread.
SQL> SELECT
2 *
3 FROM
4 TABLE_1
5 ORDER BY
6 A,
7 B,
8 C;